Seasonal Blues 02 Altara
by Una
Summary: Follow up to Seasonal Blues Krismasna. Luke and Mara find a better way to colour Altara eggs.


**Seasonal Blues 2- Altara**

by

Una

"Uncle Luke!" the twins as well as young Anakin in tow stormed through the open doorway and all three threw themselves at their favourite and only uncle.

"Hey," Luke greeted them and crouched down to hug each of his sister's children in turn. He had come straight from the flight deck, still clad in his orange flight suit after he had disembarked from his old X-Wing. The thrill and laughter of his nephews and niece washed away some of the fatigue he had felt.

"Luke," Leia said and smiled when she saw the four of them half rolling on the floor of the hallway. "Now children, leave your uncle alone and let him catch his breath."

After she had ushered her children back into the living quarters, she hugged Luke long.

"It's good to see you again, Luke."

"And to see you, Leia. How are you?"

"Good, now that you are here." Leia replied and led him over to the kitchen area where Han Solo, Ex-smuggler, General of the NRA, husband to Senator Organa-Solo and father of the three children was standing with said children at the long kitchen table and helped his youngest to colour his Altara eggs with a small colour laser.

"Hey, Kid," Han greeted his friend and winked. For a moment Luke watched the whole scene before him and some strange pain settled in his chest. A feeling of yearning reached out to his heart and for a moment, Luke wished he was part of this family activity, that he could do this with his own children. However, that would never be. With a slight shake of his head to get rid of these feelings, he pasted a smile on his face and let himself being fussed over by his sister and her family.

Mara was switching off her nav computer when the feeling of loneliness and yearning washed over. For a moment she closed her eyes and suppressed the tears that wanted to well up in her eyes.

Skywalker, she thought and for a moment a smile graced her lips before a frown returned to her face. For a moment she opened herself to the Force and caught a glimpse of the family gathering in the Solo kitchen. Immediately she felt Luke responding to her and she sent him some soothing thoughts. Ever since their last meeting last year during Krissmasna, their link in the Force had increased. She had grown used to this comfortable bond and more than once in the last four standard months she had relied on it more and more. It gave her a peace of mind that she had never experienced before.

After she had closed the connection with Skywalker, an idea took hold of her and she quickly powered down her ship to get all the necessary ingredients before she met up with Skywalker later that day.

"You have to eat with us, Luke. We already missed you over Krissmasna," Leia said and helped 3CPO to lay the table. Ever since Mara had contacted him through the Force, Luke had felt restless.

"I don't want to bother you, Leia, I just came to say hello, I can grab something to eat at home," Luke replied.

"Nonsense!" Han exclaimed and brought a delicious looking roast to the table. Settling around the table, the Organa-Solo family started their yearly Altara dinner and with a sigh Luke settle down beside them. He could not really blame them for wanting to spend some time with him. After all, Luke and Leia had missed missing each other last Krissmasna and when she had travelled to Yavin earlier this year he had been away on a mission for the senate.

"So, Kid, what are you up to during Altara?" Han asked while he loaded his plate full of roast meat and vegetables.

"I don't know," Luke answered, hesitating. "I want to see if some of the Rogues are here..."

"Mara Jade is scheduled to come to Coruscant," Leia commented. "I ran into Karrde on my way here from a senate meeting earlier and he said she had an appointment here."

Luke tried to avoid the inquisitive stare of his sister and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Is that so? Well, she will probably contact me for a training unit."

"Probably," Leia responded and darted a look toward her husband. After they had returned from their brief holiday on Kashyyk, some rumours had been doing their rounds in Coruscant. One of the most outrageous was that the Jedi Master had been seen kissing Mara Jade at a party with the Rogues. When she had inquired further, the Rogues and their spouses had been quite tight-lipped about the whole incident, but Leia suspected there had been more to it than a simple kiss underneath Krissmasna bushel.

"Training, eh?" Han commented. "Is that what they call it now?"

"Huh?"

"You know ... Krissmasna bushel and all, you and Mara Jade were the source of some real interesting gossip a while back..."

Luke had to use all his Force skill to remain aloof. "I don't know what you mean."

"No?"

"No, Han, and I appreciate if you could enlighten me," Luke demanded which prompted his nephew Anakin to blurt out: "They said you were seen kissing Mara Jade ... on the lips ..." He made a gagging sound, supported by his older brother, while Jaina sighed.

"I did kiss Mara, but that was just a tradition, we were caught underneath a Krissmasna bushel..."

"Chewie also gave me a kiss," Jaina said. "It tickled. Did it tickle you and Mara too?"

Han and Leia coughed suspiciously while Luke gaped at his niece. "Err, no, I don't think I can recall that, Jaina." For a moment he squirmed when his mind brought up a particularly explicit image of his time with Mara Jade last Krissmasna. He could barely concentrate on his food, as a rush of heat flooded his body by remembering how much he had enjoyed the kiss beneath the Krissmasna bushel and all the kisses they had exchanged later that day.

The meal dragged on while Luke tried to suppress his pending arousal. Every time the conversation turned towards Mara Jade, his body reacted as if the beautiful smuggler was already near. Afterwards, he helped his nephews and nieces to paint more eggs, and while he was showing Anakin how to apply orange swirls to the eggshell with a brush, he felt another brush of the Force coming from Mara.

_Painting Altara eggs, Skywalker? How cute_, sending him an image of white skin decorated with the traditional Altara symbols painted on it.

Mara shifted the bags she carried and tapped in her security code in the lock pad. She was sure Skywalker was still with his family so she took an involuntary step back when the door opened before she had finished coding in her code.

Looking down she saw that R2D2 had opened the door for her. "Hello squirt," she greeted the little astromech and was answered with a barrage of whistles. She turned while walking to the kitchen and read the print on R2D2's little screen.

"So you don't like being called squirt?" She inquired with a chuckle. That was also something that had changed over the last couple of months. She had accepted Luke's strange affection to the astromech and had struck up some sort of friendship with the little droid as well. "And yes, your Master knows I'm coming. We have a date."

Artoo stopped and his little lens took in the image of Mara Jade as she made her way to the kitchenette. Upon arriving on Coruscant earlier his Master had instructed him to wait for Mara Jade in his apartment and to provide her access to anything she so desired. With a low whistle he rolled forward, never taking his photographic lens off the Ex-Imp as she unloaded the shopping bags.

Luke had made it to the front door when Leia put a hand on his arm. With a sigh he turned and faced his sister who scrutinized him with the look as he had termed it. Good thing was she was not as strong in the Force as him or she would have sensed that he was eager, too eager to leave her apartment to return to his own.

"Really, Leia, I'm only a couple of floors away. The flight was long and I really need to turn in," Luke said cheerfully.

"If you say so, Luke. But don't seclude yourself the whole Altara days in that apartment of yours. The children would love to go egg hunting with you in the morning."

"Sure, Leia, I'll be here." With a kiss on the cheek, Luke bid his goodbye and after he had stepped outside, he took a relieved breath. Now all he had to do was rushing back to his apartment and awaiting the return of Mara Jade into his arms.

Luke frowned when he saw that Artoo had connected with the power charging station already, and he made his way to the kitchen. Several cartoons had been put into the heater to keep warm but apart from this, there was no indication that someone else was in his apartment.

"Mara?" For a short moment he felt disappointed.

_Over here, Skywalker_ , Mara's voice was strong in his mind. He turned towards the living area and stopped when he saw Mara. She was standing in the door to the refresher, her glorious red hair a natural halo around her face and bare shoulders. Slowly, his eyes travelled from the tips of her toes upward to her face, lingering in places where he appreciated the beauty of her naked form. When their eyes met, Mara gave him a languid smile.

"I was about to start without you, Skywalker," she teased him and slowly came over to him. Too dumbstruck to say anything in return, Luke stared at her. Her flawless skin was milky white, in starch contrast to the golden-red curls that rioted over her breasts, arms and down her back.

_You are beautiful, Mara_ he sent her, not trusting his voice for not coming out as an aroused squeak.

_Thank you, Jedi Master, though you are also not too hard to look at_ Mara retorted and cupped his cheek with her hand while the other drew his head down to her. For a short moment they only shared their breaths until their lips touched each other and they shared a deep kiss. Luke slung his arms around Mara's slender form and hugged her close, his hard frame merging with her soft curves. The trader groaned into his mouth and her hands tangled in his far too long hair.

After a while their kissing stopped and both were content to just gaze at each other while trading soft kisses on any exposed part of their skins.

"I brought you a present," Mara whispered throatily while Luke licked her pulse point with his tongue on her neck.

"Oh, really, what is it?" he asked and frowned when Mara stepped out of the embrace of his arms and took two steps to a small table beside the couch where brushes and pots of paint were lined up.

With a slow, certain smile, Mara made her way to the couch. It sat beneath one of the floor to ceiling skylights that dominated Skywalker's apartment on Coruscant and when she lay down upon it, the light coming through the windows washed her skin with light and shadow, tingeing her flawless skin in a golden tone. She wasn't surprised when Luke grabbed the old-fashioned brushes and the skin colours she had brought. From lowered lids, Mara watched Skywalker's quickened breathing and when he squatted down beside her on the floor, she could see the desire burning in his blue eyes.

"Mara," he whispered and their gazes met. "What should I do?"

"Whatever you wish, Skywalker ... why not do some Altara painting ..." she answered suggestively and she moved her arm slightly that lay over her breasts protectively.

Luke gaped at her for a moment before he dipped one of the brushes into the pots that held rebel red paint. He drew the soft brush across her ribs, then added Coruscant blue and lilac across her hip. With each layer of paint that was dappled on her shoulders, her belly and her breasts, Mara could not suppress the shivers of excitement that shook her body. She could feel Skywalker's frustration and when she heard the clutter of the brushes hitting the floor she opened her eyes in surprise.

With paint-stained hands, Luke ripped at his tunic and soon he had divested himself of his clothes. With a desperation that bordered on the insane he began to use his hands on Mara's painted body, drawing symbols on her naked flesh.

"Luke!" She could feel the brush of Luke's mind against her own and just as she opened her arms to her lover she opened her mind to him feeding off his passion as well as overwhelming him with her own. With almost fierce brutality Skywalker dragged Mara onto the floor. She fell on him, the paint squishing between both their hot bodies and transferring a good amount of blue and red onto Luke's chest. Painted hands brushed over him, incensing him, while his hands cupped her bottom and dragged her up. Their lips meshed, mouth slanting to take each tongue deeply into the other's mouth and for a moment their minds merged, increasing their passion for each other.

"Stars, Mara, I missed you ..." Luke managed to whisper hoarsely before he claimed her lips again, his paint stained hands drawing irresistible symbols across her back and bottom.

_Missed you too! Luke, please_ iMara urged through their bond, taking them both over the edge as their worlds stopped and careened.

It took a long while before their panting bodies stilled and lay motionless on the floor. Luke covered Mara's body from head to toe and he held her close to his heart. Mara who was listening to the wild drumming of their hearts against their ribs, moved her hands up from his shoulders into his hair, and Luke looked up with a groan.

"Happy Altara, Skywalker," Mara said with a smile and Luke grinned sheepishly.

"Happy Altara, Mara Jade."

The End


End file.
